Deadly Blessing (1981) – Nostalgia Central

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There are lots of nutty women in Deadly Blessing.

There’s the heroine, Martha Schmidt (Maren Jensen) – the widow of a member of the Hittite community (a dour xenophobic extreme religious sect that makes the Amish look like swingers).

She’s nutty because, following the death of her husband Jim (Doug Barr) in a mysterious tractor “accident”, she decides to stay down on the farm – even though the Hittite community don’t care much for her and even after someone tosses a snake into her tub while she’s taking a bath!

Then there are her nubile California-blonde pals Vicky Anderson (Susan Buckner) and Lana Marcus (Sharon Stone in her first big speaking role in a theatrical feature), Martha’s old college pals who decide to stay with her and give her moral support (while lounging about in clingy lingerie) and get the bleach scared out of them.

There is a nutty neighbour woman (Lois Nettleton) who goes on mysteriously about hating boys. There is a nutty secret transvestite. There is a nutty Hittite woman.

The Hittite community is ruled by the Elder Isaiah Schmidt (Ernest Borgnine). The cult seeks to repress the faith and lifestyles of non-Hittites and prevent the “outside world” from influencing their own living pattern. And they take stern measures to uphold their own beliefs.

The Hittites despise Martha and call her names like “Incubus” (a demon in their folklore), because she married Isaiah’s eldest son, Jim. Isiaish believes she corrupted Jim by making him follow the wrong path.

Nothing in Deadly Blessing is logical or conclusive, but there’s a big bloodbath and a final trick ending.

Martha Schmidt
Maren Jensen
Lana Marcus
Sharon Stone
Vicky Anderson
Susan Buckner
John Schmidt
Jeff East
Melissa
Colleen Riley
Jim Schmidt
Douglas Barr
Faith Stohler
Lisa Hartman
Louisa Stohler
Lois Nettleton
Isaiah Schmidt
Ernest Borgnine
William Gluntz
Michael Berryman
Sheriff
Kevin Cooney
Theatre Manager
Bobby Dark
Fat Boy
Kevin Farr
Gravedigger
Neil Fletcher
Tom Schmidt
Jonathon Gulla
Leopold
Chester Kulas Jr.
Matthew Gluntz
Lawrence Montaigne
Sammy
Lucky Mosley
Medic
Dan Shackleford
Ruth Schmidt
Annabelle Weenick
Mrs Gluntz
Jenna Worthen
Narrator
Percy Rodrigues